Floorstanding loudspeakers — GoldenEar T44

The T44 is a floorstanding loudspeaker from GoldenEar's T Series with a built-in powered bass section, and the first product released under PML ownership after PML acquired GoldenEar in January 2025. It began shipping in mid-July and August 2025 at USD 4,899.99 per pair in Piano Black and USD 5,299.99 in Santa Barbara Red. The larger T66 sits above it in the same series.

Key specs that matter

The T44 is a three-way design with five drivers in a sealed enclosure. High frequencies come from a High-Gauss HVFR folded-ribbon tweeter, and a 4.5 inch cast-basket MVPP driver covers the upper bass and midrange. The bass section combines one active 5 x 9 inch long-throw quadratic driver with two 6.8 x 8 inch quadratic planar infrasonic passive radiators driven by its back wave. A built-in amplifier rated at 500 W peak and 250 W RMS, controlled by a 56-bit DSP, powers the bass driver. Frequency response is 32 Hz to 25 kHz, reaching -6 dB at 29 Hz anechoic. Sensitivity is 92 dB in room and 89 dB anechoic at 1 W and 1 m, and the nominal impedance is 4 ohm, compatible with 8 ohm amplifiers. GoldenEar recommends 20 to 400 W per channel. The speaker is 191 mm wide, 376 mm deep and 1026 mm high with its base, and it weighs 27.2 kg.

Engineering and use context

With the bass powered internally, the connected amplifier drives only the tweeter and the upper bass and midrange driver, which reduces the load it sees and allows a wide range of amplifier power. The 56-bit DSP shapes the output of the powered bass so it blends with the passive upper section. The folded-ribbon HVFR tweeter moves air by squeezing its pleated diaphragm, allowing a large radiating area in a small space. Quadratic drivers are rectangular, which fits more cone area into the narrow front of the cabinet than a round driver would. The passive radiators replace a port and are driven by the rear wave of the active driver, so the sealed enclosure has no port noise. The two pairs of five-way terminals accept bi-wired cables. The base measures 300 x 432 mm and gives the tall, slim cabinet a stable footprint. The T44 needs a mains connection for its bass amplifier, in addition to the speaker cables.

Pairing

With its high sensitivity and the bass amplified internally, the T44 suits modest AV receivers and stereo amplifiers alike.

Alternatives

The GoldenEar T66 is the larger T Series floorstander in a taller 1240 mm cabinet.